THE COMING RACE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 597, 27 August 1909, Page 6

THE COMING RACE.

MEDICAL INSPECTION 'OP SCHOOLS

ACTION BY THE;EDUCATION BOARD.

At the last meeting, of .the .Wellington Education .Board, there were tabled-two interesting reports .by. Dr. Pollen and Dr. Webster- on tho physical oondition of certain children examined "a t one of tho city Schools rn December last. Tho reports wore deemed I to bo of such importance- that their -.consideration was deferred, pending a report I by-a:sub-committce,appointed.by the board to go into tho , whole question. Tho committee. submitted its' roport at the- meeting of tho full "board - yesterday. It 1 -reads -as follows:—. • .. I ■ ■ •''Tho particular school inspected was selected: for a .trial medical examination because, -being 'a. typical city .School: as regards tho pupils, who'are drawn, from all classes, it was believed the result would indicato, fairly the -averago-physical condition of children attending-, city schools.: • While . the physical cpndition of the children examined . is. described as on the, wholo good,,there is dis-» closed in qinto an appreciablo-percentage-of those examined tho existence of- defects pre? viously, as 'thevdoctors. believed, unrecog- j nised by oithor- parent or toacher, and,'in i their opinion,' 0 f aaiaturo to interfere with | the education of the children now, and with,] their ultimate physical development, That i being: so, if tile ■ necessary preventive and romedial measures are not adopted, thero is a resultantvloss'.in two directions:— • -

"1 The child is in: somo instances prevented- by- its. physical defects from deriving the full benefit of that, education which tho State freely offers: ■' r \" 2.' The. national physique of the coming rate will be of a lower typo than if-defects aje 'discovered and • remedied in childhood. Thus,'by-roason of unremedied physical defects wo should become, as a race, both in body and in mind, less fit for tho battle of life

" " The board, therefore/having bcen'entrustci '.with the, educational-well-being of the children .' of . this and being conyiiiced that the maximum .of effect in eduoa'tion ispossible only' J in conjunction with the nearest? approach to .perfect'physical' development; urges that" the adequate" discharge of its/duties requires -that 'there 'be, established with the least possible 1 delay a' well-coih, sidered' .State .systemV'of .compulsory medical inspectionOf school children.' ; The. results of such a medical' inspection should be pre-,. '<sented* by the medioal officer to- the secretary of :the board, to ; be by.him communicated,' through/the , .various _ bead teachers, to the parents, so 'that by the latter there may be obtained; either "'from the family doctor, or; on special terms! fo .be, arranged, by the State,: at the : public > hospital,,: :the / profit treatment ; .of;the' various disorders reported. Such' a systejniof need not be ap 'first allrembracing, -but it. shotyd.be begun and' - wisely v est ended > ■ along ' the lines-wh ich the s circumstances of :our country seem to render 'advisable. advantagesderived in 'every country where a • well-con sidered system has .been aclopt«l, iustify'theexpecUtion of- similar benefits from, such.'a systetoof school, medical inspection in: New 'Zealand.. The results should immediately appear m; the improved' average mental and 'physicalwell-., being.'of 'the. pupils, and, in, -tfle : futur«,in a soucder, saner people. . • t : '• . "The'' board " takes'. .this' opportunity acwith, thanks; Me valuablo^services rendered :by Doctors pollen yahd ebster; "who conducted '.the /general: examination and the examination* of. the eyes the/ ooflrtesyof -the, -Coranyttee, andpareijts (iaiper.mitting::the- fixan)in^tion,. J and ; the assistance ( 'of-Hhe'..'teachers..concerned.- ■ There' was "no;- discussion on tho' report, which was, ,on the motioii of G. w.. Aitken;- unanimously -adopted, and ; copies ordered to W; sent to tho other education boards in Nov.' Zealand. The Chairman* Lee), remarkedthat the policy of tho board should bo to advise parents -as to the physical condition of .'tßeiirlWiW^'' ; jSo nie .4»y it ,mighV be possible .to persuade-the; State tp. go/further, and provide ■ medical , attendance 'as well. Medical inspection 1 of school childi-en matter /.which should ';he .^taken' -up -.by., the, Government; ";,'.V.'. v' .< A PROTEST.

' 'In connection. with the matter .contained in the' reports by - Drs. Pollon and thfcre was : also read at the board's • meeting a < letter from tho To ! Aro. School Committee, in which it was complained that a sehous . reflection had been cast up .that .school by tho publication of tho doctors' reports m the public, press. Tho committee • contended that, reports of such a naturo should be. regarded as confidential, and: desired' inquiry, as to how. the press came into possession of :them. ... Members - generally condemned, as highly improper, the publication .of' the reports before-. tW board>had,\consi,dered them.-.-. Publication should hairg bofin deferred. . Mr W G. Buchanan; M.P.; was inclined; to believe that members themselves-had been las in thi3 ~ m atter.''lf."nicmbers did not wish such papers to get into tho hands of the press; they' should' say so at the nmo. •It was here -explained that one-of .tho Wellington- papers (The Dominion) had puhlishod the report before, tht, board's meeting. The Secretary (Mr.- G; Ij. St-owart) said that only a limited number of copies of the reamong %members..,-He could answer:for>th'©/fact that'-whatever' information had been, obtained by the.'press! had./not;, emanated . fj;Qm \ tfye medical inspectors, or from the boaid office. '.f-Tho'i chairman ■ said that some explanation was duo to tho To Aro School Committee that,tho, Secretory.:, write- to, the commit,tee, explaining tlie circumstances.

-As to the' publication of the report in The Dominion; our representative who 'attended? the(previous /meeting ': of ithe' board states"that", when the board decided- to-defer consideration of. the report; for'a further roeetiug;- no; objection- iwas offered by • memto its publication. That question was raised at 'the- time, • and all the, reporters present obtained copies of the report. •